1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of plastic film processing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a continual need for reprocessing plastic film which has been rejected for various reasons for its intended use. In many cases, the film is reprocessed into a pellet form so as to be compatible with the handling requirements of molding and/or extrusion. A process known as "densifying" has existed for many years and has been the accepted method to convert film into a pellet-like form. The current densification process has several disadvantages. For example, the film must be cut off from fiberboard cores and hand fed into a machine. The process of removing film from a fiberboard core as well as operation of the machine requires a level of manual labor and thus the quality of the finished product will vary between operators. Further, the densification process requires relatively high energy input to force the film through the machine. In many cases, the finished pellets are not uniform in size or shape causing feed or processing problems in certain molding machines or extruders and the pellets are frequently wet since water must be sprayed into the machine to act as a coolant onto the molten polymer. Likewise, the quality of the pellets vary since the shear that occurs during the densification process often alters the polymer melt flow.
In view of these disadvantages, I have developed a new device and method of converting rolls of film into a more usable form. Disclosed herein is such a device and method which provides a product of superior quality and consistency while still being economical as compared to the prior method. More specifically, I have eliminated the manual labor of cutting film off of fiberboard cores and instead utilize rolls of film which are twisted into a pelletized strand. The method disclosed herein does not require a coolant liquid nor the high energy requirements of the densification process. Further, the melt flow or melt index of the polymer being processed is not altered with the output product being uniform in size, shape, melt and without moisture.
In a non-related product, applicant has noted plastic stir sticks, typically used for stirring drinks, are produced from plastic and have a rod shaped main body.